The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20

be considered in estimating results where
| they are required; and, second, that there are
unknown forces and quantities, and about
these We are liable 10 mistake our ignorance
| for knowledge.
DIVINE MIRACLES ACCOUNTED FOR ON NAT
URAL PRINCIPLES.
We now come to third class OF results
which we must notice-Divine miracles: For
Instance the restoration Of sig ht to the blind,
and speech to the dumb. They are
not the simple results OF nature by Itself.
They are not the results Of the forces Of ma
ture, utilized by the will and intellect Of man.
They are above either. / believe them TO be
the results OF, to us, unknown forces utilized
acle that Christ performed, say the giving of
sight to q blind man. Now whether we have
stopped to think Of it or not: there is n force
somewhere In nature that gives sight to ev-
known force. just as other forces. that we now
recognize were at one period or The earth un-
known forces. Christ lays his hand on this
unknown force and by utilizing II accordlng;
to his will he produces result which We call
miracle. And so with any other miracle
that he works. Is there anything absurd or
irrational In this? Take any of the known
forces of to-day. say electricity. and Jet an op;
orator go far enough back to reach the period
In which II was not known. and begin pro-
ducing results by an application of that force,
~
ces to the men Of that day, and vet is there
anything absurd or irrational In the result to-
day?
centuries past? In their ignorance. To your
supposed operator everything was rational,
natural. Only to the men who were ignorant
OF the law Of electricity was 1t incomprehen-
siSle, and If the world shall ever discover the
force that gives eye sight to the eye, then the
results that were produced by Savior, by
utilizing that force will appear simple and
natural. And II the world shall ever recog-
isms Of ours, then the results produced by the
Divine will utilizing this force will be at once
simple and natural. In other words, the alb
surdity, the irrationality OF the resurrection
is in our ignorance Of the forces that produce
that result We call these results supernatu-
raj. The word Is only name for our .igno-
rance. We see just 80 far up the chain of ma
draw line and call all beyond supernatural.
1t is IN arbitrary division. Nothing OF the
kind exists In reality. The supernatural is
only the other end OF the chain OF the natu-
raj hid in the darkness. The higher we rise
the larger becomes the natural and the small
er the supernatural. Continue to rise until
you lay your hand upon laws and fofces that
are now the outlying, unknown, quantities
By which O miracle Is wrought and all this
then becomes natural. Truly as jean Paul
Richter says, "miracles on earth are nature
In heaven" But this you say Is assuming.
The point Of elevation only Is assumed. the
principle, the upward trend OF the human
race, we are compelled to postulate OF the fu-
ture by the lessons Of the past, and that, the
principle is the thing at last.
But while miracles are 10 us supernatural,
are they violation Of nature? Hume says
they are, but the Scottish philosopher only
did what SO many others have done-mistook
his Ignorance for positive knowledge. | have
there are some other things that will help to
First. From what we know of the viola
tion Of laws, what results follow? Are they
ton Of the laws OF nature In your own being
ends In sickness, disease, death. The viola
ton Of the law by which sight Is given to the
come from violated laws SO far as we know
them are marked with ruin. 1t IL only In
obedience TO these laws that beneficial and
desirable le results are reached: In the second
the principle by which men worked. They
first found out the law and then utilized It.
In all that we are able TO know of the Divine
miracles this principle is still seen as the rule
sghtless eyes. 1t Is unnatural that man
should have eyes and not be BILE to see-the
natural thing Ia that he should see. Some vi
caused the blindness. When the Saylor
comes and gives these sightless eyes the pow
er to see, men set up howl and say nature
has been violated, when in fact 1t has only
been e-esta blished--it is natural to see, un-
natural not TO see. Here is q man with the
organs OF speech. Nature all around him has
given the power OF speech To him she has
him to speak. Is this not Violation of ma
ture? The Savior comes and breaks the fet-
ters that have bound the dumb tongue. Is
that violation or simply an establishing OF
wrought, the subjects take their place in the
orderly movement of the natural and give to
the men who have the honesty or sense to
read 1t demonstration that God controls the
r.. 49, md for
poses OF mercy to men. Now brethren the
next step Is simple and logical. Death Is un-
natural. 1t Is q violation OF natures laws.
When you have the me laws or GenG
an unending existence contained In the
mighty powers and possibilities OF the human
soul, when you have turned upon human life
the highest light Of science and the still high.
er light Of Revelation, then death the force
that cuts all this short, and drops around the
race veil of leaden darkness, and renders
life fearful enigma, becomes violation Of
nature.
This is the Bible view at least Death
comes by sin, sin Is violation OF the
laws of being, and death is the result Of that
violation. Then, my brethren, the reSurrec-
tion is triumph over death, re-estnbliShing
OF natures laws. Somewhere up the chain OF
nature. yelled i'll the mists of the supernatu-
raj, lie the forces OF life. Gods hand Is upon
Adams entombed race shall feel its quicken
ing power and respond to the touch OF the
Divine hand that sends q thrill OF eternal
life coursing along the veins OF buried hu-
manity, and bursting the fetters of death 1t
shall rise into the harmony OF the life God.
These emblems point us to the hour. when he
who spoke Lazarus to life and gained through
himself on that first great Easter morn vic
tory over death, shall lead our race to glori-
GUS conquest, and enter US upon the eternal
life OF glory and victory. Hail Jesus, King
eternal, immortal, invisible, hail. to thee, with
the Father and Holy Ghost, be glory now and
forever, Amen.